Mental health issues most common cause of Humberside Fire and Rescue staff absences
That's in the year to April
Mental health issues including anxiety and depression were the most common cause of Humberside Fire and Rescue Service absences in the last year, according to its figures.
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service figures showed 1,845 working days were lost due to staff absences linked to ‘psychological disorders’ from March 2021 to April, a yearly increase from 1,764.
A service spokesperson said the rise, while concerning, showed the service had been successful in breaking down stigma around such conditions and absences were returning to a post-pandemic normal.
Fire Brigades Union (FBU) Humberside Secretary Gavin Marshall said it showed staff were becoming more aware of mental health meaning the rise showed a positive awareness and openness around it.
It comes as the sevice’s annaul report stated more staff had sought help through the Blue Light Mental Health Champion scheme after service efforts to raise the profile of conditions.
It added a zero tolerance to bullying campaign had also been launched which aimed to address the source of some stressful workplace issues.
Service figures showed the number of days lost due to mental health issues fell for uniformed staff, from 1,409 to 1,075.
But the amount of days lost more than doubled for non-uniformed staff, from 355 to 770.
The report also showed the number of accidents fell in 2021-22 but near misses were up by 32 per cent.
Handling, lifting and carrying were the most common cause of accidents and other incidents included food poisoning and someone getting plaster dust in their eye whilst fitting a smoke alarm.
The report stated:
“It is widely accepted that the pandemic has had a significant impact on mental health generally across the whole population.
“However, within an emergency service environment, this also impacted significantly on the working hours and demands placed upon some departments in the organisation, both support and frontline service delivery.
“Given the level of absences attributed to mental health issues, this important concern will remain a high-profile matter.”
Days lost to long term absences rose by around 44 per cent, 1,646 more, while 383 more were lost due to short term ones, up by about 38 per cent.
The report stated it came after absences fell dramatically in 2020-21, so the rises represented a return to normal.
Routine activities was the setting where accidents were most likely to occur in 2021-22, accounting for 19 incidents compared to 30 the previous year.
The number of training-related injuries stayed the same at 12, with fire attended injuries falling from 14 to 10 .
Those from special service call outs, ones related to non-fire emergencies like removing objects from people and getting them out of lifts, fell from 14 to seven.
A total of 13 injuries were caused while people were handling, lifting and carrying objects, up from 11 the previous year.
There were 12 musculoskeletal injuries in the last year, down from 19.
The seven uncategorised injuries including someone getting food poisoning at Bridlington Fire Station and the staff member who got dust in their eye while fitting a smoke alarm.
Seven staff members were injured after slipping, tripping or falling on the same level, down from 10, and the number hit by moving, flying or falling objects stayed at six.